Volunteer Handbook 2026

Volunteer Handbook

Everything you need to know about being part of our brilliant team.

Welcome to Weston Park Cancer Charity

From Emma Clarke (CEO, Weston Park Cancer Charity)

Thank you for joining our team of amazing volunteers! As a charity, we serve thousands of people across the region living with and beyond cancer. And we promise we’ll be there with them – together at every step.

We are so grateful that you’ve chosen to volunteer at our charity, and we’re delighted to welcome you to the team. Whether you’re volunteering at our fundraising events and stalls, supporting our teams at the Cancer Support Centre, Cavendish Centre and Charity Hub, driving our patient transport service or helping on our Big Purple Bus you will be making a real difference to our patients, their families and our charity.

We are proud of our charity and proud of the contribution volunteers make. As a volunteer, you will be enhancing the services we offer and helping us raise valuable funds. We know you will bring your unique experiences, knowledge and skills to your role and we welcome your views.

This handbook contains lots of useful information, including what you can expect of us and what we ask from you. Please read it carefully. Our Volunteer Manager (Emma Wells) and Volunteer Officer (Sara Bean) are here to support you. If you have questions or suggestions, they will be very happy to hear from you.

Thank you and welcome. We hope you enjoy your time volunteering with us and that you feel very much part of Team Weston Park!

Please click here to view a video explaining why volunteers are such an important part of our charity.

About Us

For one in two of us, cancer will change everything. When it does, so can we.

Weston Park Cancer Charity is here to support anyone facing cancer. Our services, advice, therapies and support are for those with cancer and the people close to them, helping everyone to live with and beyond cancer. It’s our job to care in every sense for our patients and their families. The funds we raise also support vital, pioneering research and clinical trials led by the exceptional medical experts at Weston Park Hospital.

Cancer survival rates have more than doubled since Weston Park Hospital opened in 1970, with some incredible advances. That’s thanks, in large part, to research which is why our fundraising is so important.

Our services and cancer support are free for anyone facing cancer and those close to them. Our Cancer Support Centre provides patients and families with emotional and practical support, help and guidance, a place to be and people to be with. Our Cavendish Centre is a dedicated space for our Complementary Therapies, which help ease the side effects of cancer treatments and help improve physical or emotional health for patients, and our Counselling service.

We also work in the community wherever possible, to help patients in a place most convenient to them. Our Big Purple Bus brings our cancer support services directly to local communities across the region by visiting regular sites, attending community events and festivals, and working alongside community organisations.

Our transport service provides free, safe travel to and from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals for patients from across the region with our minibuses providing regular routes from Barnsley, Chesterfield and Rotherham.

It’s our job to care in every sense for our patients and their families - together at every step.

Our Volunteering Programme

Our volunteers provide vital support across the charity working alongside our staff to enhance the services and fundraising we provide. As a volunteer you will bring your own knowledge, skills and experience to your role and can expect to be treated as a valued member of the team. We want you to enjoy your role and to feel supported and comfortable.

A Volunteering Overview

16 different roles

11,465 individual volunteer hours in 2025/26

503 corporate volunteer hours in 2025/26

From our annual volunteer questionnaire (2025/26):

98.2% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they’d recommend Weston Park Cancer Charity as a place to volunteer.

100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they receive the support they need to carry out their role and receive all the information they need in a timely manner.

What You Can Expect from Us

• A role profile which explains what your role will be.

• A safe volunteering environment.

• A member of staff as a named contact available on each day you volunteer.

• Work with you in line with our equal opportunities and health and safety policies.

• Regular communications about the charity and our volunteering opportunities.

• Where appropriate, training to enable you to perform your role.

• Reimbursement of ‘out of pocket’ expenses (as per our volunteer expenses policy).

• Listen to your feedback about your volunteer experience and action any changes where we can.

What We Ask of You

As a valued volunteer, you are an ambassador for Weston Park Cancer Charity. How you approach your role and the interactions you have with patients, supporters, staff and members of the public really matter and can have an impact. We ask that you adopt a professional approach to your volunteer role and that you are caring and respectful in all interactions. These are some of the things we expect from you:

• Operate within our policies and procedures and only undertake volunteer tasks within your role profile.

• Treat patients, their families, other volunteers, staff and members of the public with dignity and respect.

• Not to enter into a personal or professional relationship with patients, their families or carers without the prior knowledge and agreement of the Volunteering Team.

• Undertake your volunteer duties safely and raise any health and safety issues immediately with your named staff contact.

• Cooperate with your named staff contact and follow their guidance.

• Be alert to safeguarding issues and raise any concerns regarding the welfare of a child or adult at risk with your named staff contact or the Volunteering Team.

• Inform your named staff contact as soon as possible if you are unable to attend (or are going to be late) on a day you are due to volunteer.

• To attend any essential training including updates.

• Not to accept personal gifts of money in any form (including cash or vouchers) from patients, their families or any other members of the public you meet during your volunteering. Small gifts such as chocolates/flowers (up to a maximum value of £50) can be accepted but you must inform the Volunteering Team.

• Not to borrow money from or lend it to patients, their families, friends or carers.

• Maintain the confidentiality of patient, client and supporter information and follow the charity’s data protection procedure. Also, not to share personal information about staff or other volunteers that may have been shared with you individually (including phone number, address, (ex) employment details, etc).

Induction

We ask that you read this handbook thoroughly to gain an understanding of the charity and the volunteering programme. For our events roles, the specific health and safety requirements and volunteer tasks for each event will be shared by your named staff contact on the day you volunteer. Please follow their guidance and instructions and only perform tasks that have been requested by your named staff contact.

For our patient-facing roles and regular fundraising roles, your induction will depend on the role you are undertaking. During your onboarding, the Volunteering Team will explain the induction process to you. DBS checks may be required depending on your role and for volunteer drivers there will be driving licence checks.

Some of our volunteer roles are based on Sheffield Teaching Hospital (STH) premises and in this instance, volunteers are required to complete the STH volunteer programme induction and checks. Our Volunteering Team will provide you with more information about this when you apply.

For our driving and patient-facing roles, we offer an informal check-in after three months to see how things are going, answer any questions, and provide additional support if needed. This is not a review or performance assessment but an opportunity to ensure the role is meeting expectations for both the volunteer and the organisation.

Essential Information for Volunteers

Data Protection and Confidentiality

Insurance Safeguarding

It is vital that we maintain the trust that people place in us. They need to know that their data will be treated in accordance with legal requirements and kept securely. In your volunteer role you may have access to information about patients, their families, our supporters, staff and other volunteers. It is essential that you keep this information confidential and do not share it with unauthorised persons.

We ask all our volunteers to watch our Data Protection and health and safety video before you volunteer for the first time.

For some of our regular and patient facing roles there will be an additional data protection induction session with our Operations Team and a confidentiality statement to sign.

We are committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of our volunteers and aim to be clear about how your data is used. You can access our privacy policy via our website: here.

If your personal details (including contact details, medical information) change please inform the Volunteering Team as soon as possible. It is important that we have up to date emergency contact information for you.

If you receive information suggesting someone is at risk or you feel there is a safeguarding issue, please share this immediately with your named staff contact.

We provide insurance cover (public liability and employer’s liability) which extends to most volunteers while carrying out approved and authorised activities, so long as you follow the policies and instructions relevant to your role. In a small number of roles (usually our volunteer complementary therapists), there is a requirement to hold a professional qualification and your own public liability insurance (please ask for details on application).

Health and Safety

We are committed to looking after the health and safety of all our volunteers. As a volunteer you also have responsibilities towards maintaining a safe environment for everyone. The Data Protection and Health and Safety video contains important health and safety information. Please watch it if you have not already done so.

When volunteering please make sure that you:

• Comply with all relevant health and safety instructions and follow the guidance of your named staff contact.

• Carry out your duties safely ensuring that your activities do not endanger yourself or anyone else.

• Report any accidents, incidents or near misses immediately to your named staff contact.

• Inform the Volunteering Team of any health issues which may affect your volunteering or support needs that the team need to be aware of.

• Follow the health and safety instructions of external venues that you visit when volunteering for Weston Park Cancer Charity

Smoking/Alcohol/ Drugs

We ask volunteers not to smoke or vape whilst wearing Weston Park Cancer Charity tabards or branded clothing. If you do need to smoke whilst volunteering please make sure that any WPCC clothing is not visible (e.g. by putting a coat over your clothing), let your named staff contact know that you are taking a break and ensure you find a suitable and safe place to smoke which complies with current laws around smoking.

Volunteers must never attend their volunteering activity under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Anyone who does so will immediately be asked to leave. We also ask that you do not consume alcohol whilst volunteering for the charity (including at events where alcohol is available).

Dress Code

Social Media

As a volunteer, you represent the charity and it is important that members of the public and clients know who you are. We ask that you dress appropriately for the activities you are carrying out. At our fundraising events, you may be provided with a Weston Park Cancer Charity tabard to wear on the day. If you volunteer on a number of occasions you may also be provided with a Weston Park Cancer Charity volunteer t-shirt.

For our regular, patient facing and driving roles we provide volunteer polo shirts, fleeces and a name badge. We ask you to wear these when volunteering. You can also wear them whilst travelling to and from volunteering but not at other times.

Our reputation really matters, people across the region trust and love our charity and hold us in high regard. When you are wearing our branded volunteer clothing you will be viewed by others as representing the charity. We ask all our volunteers to bear this in mind and not to do or say anything which could damage our reputation.

We do some amazing things at Weston Park Cancer Charity and we know our volunteers are proud of the charity and proud of their volunteering. Sharing good news stories about the charity can help raise awareness and showcase the brilliant things we are doing. However, social media content can also damage the reputation of the charity and compromise the privacy of individuals.

We ask that you respect privacy and confidentiality when posting on social media. Please do not post images of volunteers, patients, clients, staff, or events on social media without explicit permission from WPCC. We really appreciate volunteers sharing positive stories about the charity and their volunteering experience but request that you use our approved content – we can suggest posts and images for you to share about our campaigns and work. If you intend to post about the charity, please ask us for approved content.

If you use your own vehicle to carry out volunteering activities, it is important that you inform your motor insurance company. Many companies will cover such activities at no extra cost. It is your responsibility to inform your insurance provider and ensure you have appropriate cover. It is also your responsibility to make sure you have an up-to-date licence, the vehicle you are driving has a valid MOT and is road worthy.

Driving One of the Charity’s Vehicles

Training Driving Your Own Vehicle

Some volunteer roles involve driving the charity’s vehicles – these include the charity car, minibuses and Big Purple Bus. Before you drive one of our vehicles you need to complete our drivers declaration form, our driver’s licence check and our health questionnaire in order to ensure we are complying with our insurance policy. You must also undertake a vehicle check prior to every drive, ensure that you feel fit and well and also notify us of any changes (including medical conditions and motoring offences) which may affect your ability to drive and/or affect our insurance cover. These checks will be explained to you during your induction.

The training you will be offered will depend on which volunteer role(s) you are undertaking. Some training may be essential for your role.

For our regular and patient facing roles, the Volunteering Team will explain which training is essential during your induction and will arrange dates for your attendance. There may be other optional training courses offered throughout the year which we would encourage you to sign up for if you can. We welcome feedback about our training courses and welcome new ideas.

Resolving Problems

Communications

For most people, volunteering at Weston Park Cancer Charity is an enjoyable and rewarding experience – we want volunteers to feel valued and to find their roles fulfilling. Occasionally, problems can occur, and we try to resolve these as swiftly and fairly as possible. Where possible we aim to do this informally by encouraging people to talk to each other and to resolve matters between themselves. The Volunteering Manager will facilitate these discussions (unless your problem involves them) and will try to help all involved to come up with solutions.

If it is not possible to resolve a problem informally, or if the concern raised is of a serious nature, then we will use the WPCC Volunteer Problem Solving Procedure. For volunteers based at Sheffield Teaching Hospital sites, the process will follow the STH Volunteer Problem Solving Procedure and will involve the STH Volunteer Services team.

When you sign up to volunteer we will ask you if you would like to receive our volunteer newsletter and information about other volunteering opportunities. We will also send you information relevant for your role. Our usual way of communicating is via email as this reduces costs – please let us know if you prefer an alternative method of communication.

Our Volunteer Representative Group meets every two months to help develop the volunteering programme and also to represent volunteers. If you have any suggestions that you would like this group to discuss please send your suggestions to the Volunteering Team.

Contact Information

Volunteering

Our Volunteering Team are here to support you and can be contacted:

• By email on volunteering@wpcancercharity.org.uk

• By phone 0114 553 3330 (option 5)

Services

If you or anyone you know would like to contact our Services Team for cancer support, please call:

• 0114 553 3330 (option 1)

Transport

Our Transport Service Team can be contacted on:

• 0114 553 3330 (option 2)

Fundraising

Our Fundraising Team can be contacted on:

• 0114 553 3330 (option 3)

For More...

There is more information about the charity on our website: westonpark.org.uk

You can also follow us on:

A big... THANK YOU

From the team at Weston Park Cancer Charity!